A Voice for the Future: Lesia Ukrainka and Cassandra

The Ukrainian Museum, in collaboration with the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA), proudly presents an event honoring one of Ukraine’s most iconic literary figures, Lesia Ukrainka, and her timeless dramatic poem, Cassandra. A political, civil, and feminist activist, Lesia Ukrainka left behind a legacy of poems, plays, essays, and activism for the Ukrainian language and identity. In the dramatic poem Cassandra (1907), the author portrayed the fate of Ukraine through the history of the Trojan War; using the title character as her messenger, Lesia Ukrainka challenged the Ukrainian people to lose their inertia and apathy towards Russian oppression. More than a century later, the poem continues to resonate and can be applied universally to people’s struggles against oppressive subjugation, illuminating the fight for truth and what happens when truth is spoken to power. Our guest speaker, author and scholar Dr. Tamara Hundorova, will be joined by the producer, director, and actors from a forthcoming production of this work to celebrate Lesia Ukrainka’s legacy and discuss the relevance of Cassandra in today’s world. More information and tickets are available on Eventbrite. The UNWLA and the Ukrainian Museum are co-sponsors of this event.